Light in the Wilderness
by The Love Actually Contest
Summary: Leah, a small town doctor found her quiet and rather boring life turned upside down when an injured hunter ended up in her care. How can she resist the beautiful man in dire straits? What would her help cost her?


Love, Actually O/S Contest

Title: Light in the Wilderness

Word Count: 7,706

Rating: T

Pairing: Emmett and Leah

Summary: Leah, a small town doctor found her quiet and rather boring life turned upside down when an injured hunter ended up in her care. How can she resist the beautiful man in dire straits? What would her help cost her?

Disclaimer: SM owns the Twilight Characters. I own the plot and the ideas behind this One-shot. The story is based on an actual group of people but I loosely played with facts and twisted them a little to suit my taste.

Leah watched her goldfish swim needlessly around in circles, trying to catch its tail. Slightly amused, this was what her days were like. Come to think of it; she felt like her daily existence was spent on a track field, running the same endless routine. Sitting and waiting for work, err, people to come. Her job as the towns' only physician has its rewarding moments, as well as endless downtime. She longed to get some action, an honest to goodness hard day's labor. But what could be expected from her small town of Beaver? Population: 84. Thanks to Leonor Kassi, it would soon bump up to 85. It was amazing how one birth excited the dull and sleepy town into an excited frenzy.

This was a place dubbed as 'Your business is everybody's business.' Truth be told, there was nothing people wouldn't know whether you crapped, pissed or didn't attend the tribal meeting. As big as the land area Alaska had to offer, it sure felt like they were crammed into one little space like sardines!

_HAH!_ Leah laughed to herself.

She continued staring at the fish in the bowl, comparing the redundancy of their daily lives. For her, up at five in the morning to get some house chores done which didn't amount to much. Between her father and herself, there was really nothing much to do. Her mother had passed away when Leah was ten years old. She and her father lived together until she had to leave for college. She came back home after her residency in Los Angeles. A fish life, compared to hers, was as exciting as pounding a nail on a piece of wood. A part of Leah's routine was to run a good four miles each day, it kept her sane; also a great way to see her neighbors. Four miles pretty much covered the square mile radius of the entire inhabited town. How miniscule compared to the city life she had experienced in L.A.

The beauty of living in a small town was the peace and serenity it offered, finding oneself if you were truly looking was too damn easy. You could even hear yourself think, and mother natures' best was displayed for enjoyment and up for the taking.

Adjusting herself on the tattered leather chair, Leah stretched her long and shapely legs underneath her desk as she adjusted the reading glasses up her nose before she picked up the book that she'd been reading since the day before. She preferred suspense and thrilling fiction since it took her mind off things.

Passing the time sure could get tricky when there was nothing much to do. She had carefully arranged, alphabetized and indexed all medical inventories, from supplies to medications. Bottles, bins and containers were labeled and all instruments sterilized in case of any emergency. The most action she'd seen in her two years as the town's physician was Sam's brush with a black bear; sustaining deep gashes in his back that required several stitches. Other than that, it was mostly cases of flu's, infections and routine check-ups. Leah was trapped in the daily grind, doing nothing.

The sounds of shouting outside brought her on her feet in a hurry. _What could elicit this much excitement in their little town?_ She asked herself as she grabbed her thick coat before she ran out to see what the commotion was all about. She saw Sam, Old man Quil and Embry carrying what seemed to be a man covered with blood. Even the three men were drenched in blood themselves.

Leah felt her heart quicken as adrenaline started pumping within her. _Dotson'Sa_ answered her unspoken wish, to have something better to do.

"Leah, gunshot wound. Get your stuff ready!" Sam's voice boomed from across the street. Curious Gwich'in's started spilling onto the street; the same questions marked their faces. _What the hell is going on? _The once a quiet and sleepy afternoon was turned into a circus, some following the trio as they hurriedly brought the injured man to the clinic.

Leah's response was instantaneous as she ran back inside the clinic ahead of them and shoved the plastic that covered the bed. Leah flicked the big lights on and the usually dark room was bathed in light as she hurriedly washed her hands with soap and warm water before snapping on a pair of latex gloves. In her doctor mode already, she started barking out orders.

"Put him down on the table carefully." Leah instructed. All of them made grunting sounds when they hoisted the man on the table. They looked like midgets compared to the size of the man they carried. It was a long trek back from the forest, and fatigue was evident in their faces, especially old man Quil. The weathered face glanced briefly in Leah's direction before his eyes flickered to the man on the table. Leah picked up the man's wrist to check for pulse. Faint. His breathing was shallow. Leah rushed to get the oxygen tank; rolled it next to table, placed the mask on the man's face, and adjusted the elastic over his head.

Leah called out to young Embry who stood motionless next to the table in shock of what was happening. "Embry, get some fresh towels from the drawer and bring them here." Leah's order startled the boy for a few seconds before he gathered his wits and did what he was asked to do. He came back with several thread bare towels. "Now, you need to apply direct pressure to the bleeding wound while I get ready to do surgery."

"What can you tell me about him? Embry, go ahead and don't waste time! Now! Or he is going to bleed to death! Where is Emily?" She directed the question to Sam. With scissors in hand, she cut through the man's seemingly expensive snow parka, and layers of thermal shirts underneath. Time was of the essence, not a moment to lose. Leah briefly glanced at the man's face and silently implored.

_Don't you dare die on my table! _ She told the man quietly as she scanned his body for wounds and other injuries.

"She's coming, I sent someone to get her." Sam's usually calm demeanor seemed flustered. It wasn't every day that they see a white man, shot on their land.

"Sam, check his pockets to see if he has any identification." Quil instructed as he leaned on the wall, extreme worry laced his expression as he watched Sam slip his hand underneath the man's body to fish for his wallet. Sam shook his head and moved to the other side to do the same. "Nothing, he has nothing on him."

A gust of wind swirled in the room briefly followed by the sound of opening and closing of the door when Emily finally arrived. Emily, a childhood friend of Leah doubled as her assistant in the clinic, as well as the town's seamstress. "I came as soon as I could Sis." Emily's eyes widened upon seeing the magnitude of the work they have in their hands. "What do we have here?" Emily lathered her hands quickly and put on the surgical gloves, quickly taking in the work that Leah had already started.

"Gunshot wound to the abdomen. I can see that the bullet penetrated here, but no exit wound, so we gotta get it out now before it does anymore damage," Leah pointed to the area below his belly button. "I'm going to have to operate." She was sure of what she had to do, but not quite sure if she had the authority to decide at that moment. This was a big decision that necessitated the blessing of the tribal leader, her father.

"Leah, shouldn't you ask your father first? This is not your decision to make." Quil reminded everyone in the room though he directed it at me. There was a strict law in their land, any matters that has anything to do with 'white folks' have to be brought before Ahila before any resolution, or choice be made.

"We are talking about a life here Quil! We are the only chance he's got. We have no way of getting him to Fairbanks."

"One white man gone isn't going to be missed." Quil's harsh words stunned them all, including Quil himself, who turned on his heels in shame. The cat was out of the bag; his gripes had been spoken out loud. _Dotson'Sa,_ have mercy on him. "Besides, we only have adequate supplies for us Leah. What if an emergency happened and we don't have enough for our 'own' people?" Quil had left on that note, but the weight of his question lingered and Leah chose to ignore it.

"No one is dying on my table, and certainly not under my watch." She nodded to Emily, who was holding an injection of Demerol. This was the best narcotic they've got that would come close to an anesthesia. Emily gingerly inserted the needle and watched while the liquid made its way in.

"Now you two, if you don't mind waiting in the front office for now; I have to get started here."

Emily's was already handing the instrument to Leah before Sam and Embry let themselves out of the room.

"He is losing a lot of blood! Emily. Put that in a pressure bag wide open and start another line," Leah shouted. Her movements more hurried than ever as she started the painstaking task of removing the bullet hoping that the Demerol had taken effect, just in case the man started regaining consciousness in the middle of the bullet extraction.

The bullet penetrated about seven inches inside, and lodged itself inside the man's large intestines. Leah knew that her work was cut out for her as she cursed underneath her breath. With the clinics 'not so modern' instruments and limited provisions, the man would have to be airlifted to the Fairbanks as soon the first Bush plane was available.

The piece of rope-like _funky_ organ stared back at her as she feverishly worked on him for the next several hours. She had to remove about eight inches of his large intestine that had been shredded by the bullet spewing fecal material into his abdomen, but it was not enough to cause any permanent digestive or bowel issues. Once she was able to make the repair and checked for any leaks, she proceeded to flush his abdomen thoroughly with several liters of saline to stave off peritonitis until he could get IV antibiotic; something they were unable to keep on hand due to cost. It was now out of their hands, but Leah was confident she gave him the best fighting chance possible with what limited means she had to work with.

Her back ached from leaning over the man as she worked on stitching him up, hopeful that what she did could hold up until they get him to the trauma center in Fairbanks in the morning. Big wads of trauma and pressure dressing were wrapped around his belly with drains leading out of the wound. A catheter bag hung on his side. _Good, no blood in his urine._ Leah sighed and sent a heartfelt thank you to _Dotson'Sa _for His help getting them both through this surgery.

_That should do it. _

With the rush of adrenaline receding, Leah finally felt exhaustion take its toll on her, not to mention the mean growling in her stomach, alerting her that she hasn't eaten. It was close to midnight. Her father would have heard by now. It was a matter of time before he made an appearance, and the weight of the decision that she made was bearing down on her now. She hopefully saved a life. She had sworn to uphold the Hippocratic Oath, and by their God, _Dotson'Sa_, she would see to it that every chance was given to anyone; despite the color of their skin and their life status, and everything thing else out there. She snapped off her latex gloves and threw them in the biohazard bin then let out another big sigh. She walked over to the sink and suddenly felt nauseous. But nothing came out.

"You need to go home Emily. I will stay with him tonight until they can transport him to Fairbanks in the morning."

Emily nodded, eyes still glued on the EKG machine as she wrote down his latest set of vitals.

"Do me a favor, will you? Call Mr. Vittrekwa now and tell him that his first drop off should be to the hospital. Here's a few dollars that can help for gas." Leah handed her two, twenty dollar bills, the only money she had left for the entire month, and it was only the 5th. She'd just have to scrimp on other things until her next paycheck.

The screeching sound of an alarm going off caused them both to look over at their patient once again.

"Leah, his blood pressure is dropping." Emily shouted as she looked gravely at the EKG machine. "We have no blood in stock. What are we going to do?"

The reading was 70/40. Dangerously low, he could go into shock if time was wasted. She needed to act fast.

"Hook me up and we'll do the transfusion directly, we have no time to lose."

One look at Emily told her that she was acting crazy. "I have O-positive type blood, so that makes me a universal donor. C'mon Emily, just do it. If we don't, he'll die!" Leah gathered all the things she needed, needles, IV line and towels.

Leah pulled a chair and breathed in and then out a few times. She needed to calm herself down before she did this. Hopefully, her lack of food and what she was about to do wouldn't make her sick. "This is going to be tricky; I have to be on a higher position than him, allowing gravity to force the blood downward to him." She put one foot on the chair and pushed herself up.

Emily still looked baffled, still unable to comprehend the situation in her midst. _She was going to do what? For crying out loud, how would she do it?"_

"Emily, look at me…focus."

"Leah, have you lost your mind? Do you know how big of trouble we'll find ourselves in? I will be an accessory to this insanity." Emily paused. "But hey, tell me what to do."

Emily knew how Leah got when her mind was all made up. There wouldn't be any way she could talk her out of her decision. She knew if she didn't help, Leah would try it anyway; no matter the risks. Besides, being a doctor has its downfall and never ending sacrifices. And, who knows, the gorgeous man on the table might be worth the trouble for her friend.

"Here's the other end of the line," Leah handed the clear plastic IV line to Emily as she inserted one needle in her arm. Wincing, she watched as her blood began to run down the tube and through the transfusion filter. "Emily, find his vein, do it now!" With trembling hands, Emily tapped the unconscious man's arm several times before she found one and injected the needles into his skin.

"Let's hope that this beautiful white man is worth it Leah." Emily said as she sighed. Repercussions were inevitable and Leah was more than aware of it.

Leah nodded. "I had to do it. I won't be able to forgive myself if I let him go without fighting for him." She said, glancing at the man on her table. She took one long look at him, noticing for the first time his perfect dark, almost black wavy hair. His square jaw looked rather forbidding, but the trace of his dimples spot made Leah long to see him smile. The long graceful eyelashes, his red and full lips, and the rather contoured nose were all strikingly attractive. Leah couldn't help but stare and study the man's strong features. It's wasn't every day that she could ogle a beautiful man. He looked perfect; he was better alive than dead. He would make a woman happy one of these days. Leah's eyes instinctively traveled to the man's ring finger and felt her heartbeat jerk when she found him not wearing one.

"Hey sister, don't mean to burst your bubble, but I believe you are betrothed to the man that I love. So feast your eyes now, give that good looking man one last look because by spring, you'll be Mrs. Uley."

The sadness in Emily's voice was hard to miss; everyone knew that she and Sam loved each other. But Leah and Sam were promised to each other at birth; they were to continue the line of their ancestors and accountable to make sure that their kind survived. Their hearts abhorred the idea. But their sense of responsibility was far greater than what their heart desired.

The wedding, which will also ensure Sam's stake as the next Tribal leader, was stamped. It was by no means a relief to Sam. Emily and Leah knew this, but they understood the purpose that _Dotson'Sa_ had given them, and they would do whatever it took to serve their people. That was to think of others before themselves and forget their emotions; love was not important.

"Why don't you get out of here? Come back in the morning and watch him while I run home to get something to eat." A little movement from the man came when Emily removed the needle from his arm. A look of pain shot across his face, but his eyes didn't open. _Another shot of Demerol might help_, Leah thought.

A little blood trickled from her arm when she removed the needle. Stepping down from the chair, she hurried to the little table and took a bandage from the jar. She gingerly applied it to her arm. She retrieved another vial of Demerol and proceeded to administer another dose to her patient. Within a few minutes, his face began to relax and he faded into sleep.

"Do you think he'll make it?" Emily whispered.

"He survived the operation, now we wait. Only time will tell." One more look at the man on the table and Leah's heart started pounding against her chest again. _I will pray that he makes it._ She promised herself.

"Okay, I'll be back in the morning. Do you need anything before I leave?"

"No, I'll be okay and thanks Emily."

"No problem sis. I'll be back in the morning. Try to get some sleep."

As the doors slid shut, Leah closed her eyes momentarily to collect herself. It had been a long evening. She made a mental note to stop asking _Dotson'Sa_ for action. She would rather deal with common colds and flu's.

After all the lights were turned off, the front door was locked and a blanket was placed over the gorgeous man on her table, Leah heaved herself on her chair, too tired to even get a drink of water. Instead, she started to write a full report of what she did as far as emergency procedures, medications administered and the urgent blood transfusion she had done as part of the record that would be taken with him to the hospital in the morning.

Exhaustion always won and Leah succumbed to sleep before she had a chance to finish her report, her face on the desk and her long black hair splayed all over the table.

Emmett's mind was reeling when he finally came around. He tried to get up, but a sharp pain shot through him, originating from his abdomen. The pain was nothing he had experienced before. He was achy all over. His belly felt like it had been opened up and sewn back together. And its freakin' cold, he felt _really_ cold. Chills took over and he couldn't help it when his teeth started chattering. He wanted to talk, but his tongue felt thick and his mouth, utterly dry.

_Where am I?_

The sound of moaning jolted Leah awake. It took her a few seconds to remember where she was when the moaning came again. She peered at the digital clock on the wall.

Two in the morning.

She bolted from her chair and rushed to check on her patient. His eyes were open, glazed and seeming disoriented. He was shaking violently. Leah instinctively placed her hand on his forehead, and not at all surprised to feel him burning up. He turned to focus his eyes on her. He opened his dry mouth to say something but no sound came out, instead only clicking sounds came from him.

"Don't try to speak. It's okay. You are okay. I am a doctor. Nod your head if you are cold." She rubbed her hand on his bare arm to keep his blood circulating, feeling the muscles beneath his clammy skin.

He nodded once, with great effort.

Leah took a fresh blanket from the hallway cabinet, and took it back with her. Normally, when a post-surgical patient has a fever, you try and cool them down, but fear of him going into shock or becoming septic without the proper antibiotics and equipment swayed her, and she wrapped the blanket gently around his body. Satisfied, she then rechecked his vital signs. The man was seemingly agitated with pain shooting through his face at the very slightest movement.

"I will give you another shot of Demerol, which is all we've got here." Emmett followed her with his eyes, not daring to move his body even one bit; the pain, even with a little movement, was too much for him. It felt like he'd been to hell and back, as if he had been gut punched hard. He had to concentrate hard to remember what had happened…his friend, a gunshot echoed and then searing pain as he blacked out. Had he been shot? It definitely felt like he had been shot.

_Well hell, he had been shot! By his best friend! _

Emmett faded into a restless slumber several minutes after Leah gave him the painkiller. Everything else looked as okay as could be expected. Hopefully, the bullet removal and the transfusion were well within The Golden Hour, and that he would be better because of it, giving him a fighting chance until he had advanced medical care at Fairbanks Hospital.

She had not even finished the report that she continued to write when she heard his teeth chattering again. She took one quick look and saw him shaking. His broad and muscled form still shook violently underneath the blanket. There was no other blanket's in the clinic. All the rest had already been used and had bloodstains in them. His convulsive-like tremors were followed by his agonizing screams of pain. She had to think fast. Leah did the only thing she could think of, survival skill number one.

_Body heat._

She climbed onto the little examination table, taking precious care of avoiding his wound when she slid down next to him. Emmett's eyes shot open when he felt a warm body next to him; he didn't dare move though, afraid of the shooting pain that he had been grappling with.

Pink crept up in her face when she realized that he was awake. She lowered her eyes, afraid to look at him with their face almost touching. She said nothing as she pressed her body against his and proceeded to wrap her arms around his chest and her legs on his. Emmett tried to turn his head to look at her face, but the excruciating pain prevented him from doing so.

"Don't move, just stay still if you can. You'll feel warmer in no time."

Her voice was calm, sweet and her scent smelled unusually fresh. She smelled like cedar wood mixed with the pungent aroma of mint. It was refreshing. She reminded him of the woods. It was nothing he came across before.

She was right, his chills slowly dissipated after a few minutes. He wanted her to keep on holding him, it felt so right, comforting even. How he wished, at that moment, that he could hold her back. He was now cocooned by her warmth and his body began to relax.

"What is your name?" Leah whispered more to herself, and was pleasantly surprised when she heard his answer. His voice, though hoarse, gave her what she had wanted to know.

"Emmett."

The fading came too soon as Emmett felt himself drifting into sleep again. And he didn't even get to ask for her name.

"Have you no respect for yourself and even for me?"

The unmistakable angry tone of Ahila, her father, jolted Leah awake, and her hand accidentally landed on Emmett's stomach as she tried to push herself up, causing him to lurch forward before his cry tore through the room.

"I'm sorry…." Leah jumped from the bed, haphazardly tying her hair in a bun before rushing to the little table to retrieve a fresh needle for his next shot of painkiller.

"I am talking to you Leah, answer me." The tribal chief stalked up to her when she didn't answer.

"I will talk to you outside, Father." She said in a hushed tone, deliberately trying to avoid confrontation with her father in the presence of Emmett, who was still looking very ill, even if a little color had crept back on his cheek. Tears of pain streamed down the side of his face as he tried to lay as still as he could; even taking shallow breaths to avoid the pain that began shooting throughout his body again.

"What is your na-?" The door hissed closed before he could ask the most important question.

_Damn it!_

He glanced around him, now that there was adequate lighting in the room as the sun was coming up in the horizon; he now has a clear visual of the room he was in. The stark white walls held no frames, no pictures, nothing that would give him an idea of his location. The room was small, in a dilapidated state and all the medical equipment was in bad repair and outdated. The stale scent of blood hung in the air, his blood. He wanted to smell the scent of the woman again. He closed his eyes trying to remember what happened.

He and Jasper arrived in Beaver for the Winter Predator/Wolf hunts. For as long as he could remember, hunting had always been a part of his life. His father, also an avid hunter, introduced him to the sport and they had taken countless hunting trips in the past. Being the son of a multi-millionaire, and an heir to their shipping business, gave him the leeway to take as many trips as he wanted.

This was a trip that he had been looking forward to, the unbeatable rush and the play. The hunting trip was much more expensive due to the remoteness of the location and the quality of the hunt. He and Jasper agreed to go and spend a week in the wilderness. This was Emmett's chance to get his hunting chops back into action after months of travelling for work.

What was the motive behind Jasper's action? Why would he shoot his best friend? What motivating factor was there behind the deed? Emmett's head hurt as he tried to think. There was only one thing that came to mind….Could Jasper be screwing his wife?

Hell hath broken loose.

Little by little, bits and pieces of instances came back to him on why he would suspect that was the ulterior motive that drove Jasper to shoot him. He had seen Jasper and Rosalie cavorting with each other, but he thought it was harmless. He had left Jasper to watch over Rosalie on occasions, and keep her company when business took him overseas.

Emmett could feel his fists clenching at the thought of being taken out like that. Violently plucked out of the equation; dead and Rosalie, rich. He would get to the bottom of things. Sure, he told her that he wanted a divorce just before he left; their differences were too much to be ignored any longer.

It was better that way, or so he thought.

A loud shouting from the next room brought Emmett back to reality. Loud voices that thundered over each other, although he couldn't make out exactly what was being said, Emmett had a sinking feeling that he might be the cause of the ensuing argument. He recognized the voice of the woman who lovingly attended to him and the man he saw briefly. Words such as _defied, banish_ and _money_ were the only words he could decipher clearly.

An anguished cry made Emmett cringe. He could barely move, even if he wanted, to check on the woman. The pain in his stomach doubled when he attempted to sit up. He heard the door slamming as the room shook violently. Emmett had no idea why he suddenly saw black spots before him, not knowing that he would soon pass out.

Banishment in the Gwich'in culture was still practiced in current times due to the degree of detachment of rural areas such as Beaver, Alaska from the American laws. Tribal leaders were often called to decide on different cases ranging from petty theft, domestic abuse and disturbance, traffic mishaps and all other crimes that could take months before it took the local government to intervene.

Such was Leah's predicament, a banished daughter from her father's home and from the clan. Her crime? Saving a life from another race. Not to be mistaken, Ahila claimed, as being racist. He was merely looking out for the best interest of the people he led. Goods and medications were hard to come by. Delivery was but once a month, transportation was limited and costly. All of these cost _money_. Money that they didn't have, and for Leah to solely decide on the appropriateness of the situation, was deemed irresponsible.

Being seen in a compromising act with another man when she was already betrothed to another man was disrespectful to the arranged marriage that was set forth by her father and unacceptable, by Gwich'in morality standards. Therefore, Leah couldn't stay in the land that she called home for the past 30 years until after a decree was lifted; otherwise the ban was to be enforced and followed.

"Leah, we came here as soon as we heard." Emily exclaimed as she rushed over to Leah, pulling her into a hug. Sam watched them with hooded eyes. None of the events made him happy. For one, he felt that Leah did the right thing and the banishment was harsh, and unnecessary. If there was something he could do, he would try…though the thought of talking to Ahila made him squirm.

"I believed this happened for the best." She replied with false confidence, but the smile that she tried to show did not reach her eyes. This was going to be tough. She had nowhere to go.

"Hello? Leah, just in case you don't realize this, you have been banished from your home. Now, tell me…when did that qualify as something that happened in a good way?" She mocked.

Emily wanted to scan Leah's brain if possible. She suspected her friend must've left her heart, and her brain, with the man at her operating table.

Exasperated, confused, hurt and scared. Leah drew out a long sigh. "Don't you think this incident voids my arranged betrothal to Sam?"

"Oh yeah!" Happiness briefly flashed in Emily's face as well as Sam's, but immediately replaced by sadness and regret. It wasn't fair. Not at Leah's expense, and surely, it would be a serious blow to their little town. Leah was a breath of fresh air to all of them and her sudden departure would surely affect a lot of people, not to mention that her services as their doctor would be sorely missed. Sure, her education was paid by the tribal council so she can advance and somehow serve her community. But it didn't mean that Leah must abandon her beliefs and principles.

"We have a little something for you. We know you will need it. It's not much, but we think it should get you through several weeks while you're looking for a job and a place to stay." Sam handed her some rolled bills. Not having a dime to her name was terribly disconcerting, especially not having a place to stay and no job to boot. Sam put an arm around Leah and gave her shoulder a squeeze, a friendly gesture that warmed her heart.

"Do you know where you're headed?" Emily eyes started to brim with tears.

"I have no idea."

"Call or maybe email us if you can." It was hard for Emily to imagine not seeing her friend every day. Things wouldn't be the same without Leah. Beaver would be a lonely place without her.

"I will."

The sound of the little engine of the Bush plane sounded, an alert that it was ready for commuters to come onboard.

"Well, this is goodbye, _for now_." Leah said, her heart growing heavier by the minute. There was not even a moment for her to check on her patient. She fervently hoped that he survived his wound and recover back to normal. "Did you see Emm…the man before you came here?" She asked while she glanced at the people boarding the little aircraft. She waved to the driver to wait.

"Yes, he was taken to Fairbanks right after you left. Another private Bush plane came for him. We have no idea who sent the driver, but he spoke with your father. No one knows what it's all about." Emily shrugged as she carefully watched her friend.

She knew that Leah wasn't capable of making bad decisions, but she hoped that her intention lay on her need to help, and not because of the calling of her heart. Emily wasn't sure if she had to tell Leah of the man's condition when he was taken, but she knew that Leah needed to be informed, at the very least for her heroic act.

"He was unconscious when they left. I checked his vitals. His breathing and vitals were stable, but I think there is something wrong with him."

"Unconscious?" There was something odd about the way she reacted, how she felt. The whole situation was totally new to her. She would like to make herself believe that she cared for his wellbeing because he was her patient. Was that all?

"Yes," Emily nudged Leah as the pilot revved the engine one more time, signaling impatience this time. "You better go."

Leah whispered for only Emily's ears. "You have to keep me posted about him. I love you Emily." They hugged quickly before she turned to Sam. "Take care of my friend and thanks for your help." They hugged rather awkwardly before Leah turned towards the plane, running.

The sound of the plane's engine drowned out Leah's sobs as she watched Emily and Sam fade into the distance. What now?

Her destination: Fairbanks.

She spent the entire night in the airport wrestling with the urge to look for Emmett. Only to see how he was doing? How hard could it be find him in the city? And then, what would she do if she found him?

A one way ticket on a red eye flight was the eventual decision for her. After a brief phone call to Alice, a friend and another resident during her residency in L.A., an invitation was extended for her to stay with her and her family until she found a job and have a little something in her pocket to start on her own. As much as she hated to be a burden to Alice, she was left without a choice. Her action took her to a different route; life had a way of dolling the unexpected.

Leah had no regrets. She saved a life and that was all there was to it. Now, if she could only get her shit together and hopefully, earn back her father's forgiveness and be allowed to come back to her tribe to serve her people. The weight was heavy; she squared her shoulders and whispered quietly to herself. _Bring it on!_

_Damn it!_ Emmett swore to himself upon finding out the extent of his injuries. He had been in and out of consciousness for the past few days and raring to go back home so he could set things in motion. Barring another infection, hopefully, he could get back to his life and get into the nitty gritty of the situation about his soon to be ex-wife and his now, _ex _best friend. Jasper had already been arrested and detained for questioning. With everything unraveling at a snail's pace, Emmett was soon to find out more garbage about his wife and Jasper.

"Son, there is a helicopter on stand-by for you. As soon as the doctors give us the go, I want you transported back to the airport and back to New York right away." His father, in his late 60's had been eccentric by nature; a man of regal build, ash blond hair and very few wrinkles that would show his true age.

"Thanks Dad," he grunted with a far-away look in his eyes while his mother clutched on his hands. He had been thinking of the woman back in Beaver, the woman who smelt like the woods, the woman who saved his life.

"Dad, what about the woman, the doctor who saved me? Any word about her?" She was his first thought as soon as he regained consciousness. She was the light that guided him back several time from the wilderness that was his medical woes. No one could give him an answer. No one knew who, or what, he was talking about.

"I already have our lawyer Simon, working on it. He hired an investigator to find her whereabouts. Son, we are making Simon a very rich man. I bet Jasper's father will be shitting in his pants when he finds out what our Lawyer has in store for his son." Carlisle chuckled without humor, one look at his son made him ache. His only son had been on the verge of death, if not for the kind people who found him, and the doctor who saved his life.

"I'm anxious to know who she is." The divorce was being filed by Simon and Rosalie being followed secretly. They had to dig up every bit of dirt there was about her, and the extent of her participation in the attempt to kill him.

"Here's what we have so far," Carlisle made himself comfortable on the modest furniture of the hospital before he continued. Incongruous, at the very least, would come to mind if you were to look at Carlisle. His beige suit was tailored to perfection, his shoes polished to a glossy shine and his whole persona screamed, money. "The woman's name is Leah Clearwater. She is the Gwich'in's tribe doctor. She was educated from UCLA and finished her residency at Cedar Sinai in LA too.

"A topnotch student and went through Med school through scholarships, grants and what-have-you. Her father is Ahila, the tribe Chief. Now here's the sketchy part, she was banished by her father for acting on her own as far as the treatment you received. We are talking about a poverty stricken group of people. Being in a remote area, every little thing takes time to get and she had used every single bit of their resources on you. She gave you her own blood, and even the only money she had left to get you transported here as soon as daybreak." Carlisle paused, watching Emmett's reaction. When Emmett didn't say a word, he continued.

"Well, the last part was supplied by her assistant. Then, I guess she was found by her father in a _compromising_ situation, she was trying to keep you warm after the blood transfusion." Carlisle smirked momentarily. "I guess she is engaged to be married, _arranged_ marriage that is, in six months, so the picture of her warming you up made it look really bad."

_Oh my fuckin' heart! _Emmett felt a lump in his throat, so thick he couldn't swallow when he heard that Leah was engaged to be married.

"Dad, we have to send them all the supplies and medicines to replace-" Carlisle did not even let Emmett finish his sentence.

"Son, I got that all taken care of. I had Simon go shopping for all the basic needs, new apparatus, all possible medicines you can think of, instruments too. I also just signed a check for a million dollars as a donation to the clinic. You are much more precious than what we gave back to them, and I am very grateful to them, most especially to that young woman."

Esme, his mother stood up. She was a smart looking woman five years Carlisle junior. Her sweet and cheerful demeanor always lit up a room. She kissed her son on the forehead before she went and draped her arm on Carlisle's shoulders. "Amen to that. I can't wait to meet that young woman Son. We owe her so much."

"Me too Mom, me too."

A silent promise was made to himself that he would do everything in his power and whatever their money could deliver, to find Leah. There was something about her that made him feel alive. Not only had she shared her blood with him, but she took care of him, a stranger. He felt a stirring within him, something that he hadn't felt before.

She was certain of it. Leah knew for sure that two men were following her. The feeling that someone was watching her had been gnawing at her for several days. She looked around her, the street leading to Alice's apartment wasn't deserted; she could easily run and scream for help. Leah quickened her strides and clutched on her backpack. The only weapon she had if it became necessary to get down and dirty. There was no way she would go down without a fight. She readied herself as she felt two men gaining on her.

She turned to look at the people following her, she gasped as her stalkers were already in her face, right behind her. "What do you guys want from me?" Leah voice shook as she took one shaky step back, calculating her odds of getting away unscathed. She crouched slightly, ready to swing her backpack; get them a little rattled before she started running. It sounded like a decent plan.

"Ma'am, we don't wish you any harm. We are Private Investigators retained by Emmett Cullen. He wants a word with you." One of the men with wrap-around glasses said, while the other raised his hands to show no aggression. Leah darted her eyes between them, still unsure whether they were playing her for a fool.

But the name_, Emmett…he said his name was Emmett_, made her pause, still clutching on her backpack but stood a little straighter. Leah narrowed her eyes disbelievingly at them.

"Ma'am, Emmett Cullen is the man you helped in Beaver, Alaska. Isn't your name Leah Clearwater?" No answer was expected from her since the shorter of the two men continued to chant everything about her. "You are a doctor, you were banished from your tribe, you are 30 years old and now you are working for Cedar Sinai in the emergency room. Should I keep going?"

"No…stop…" Amazed, she held one hand up to stop the man talking. "Why are you following me?" Another step back, still unsure whether to trust their claim.

"Mr. Cullen has been looking for you. We had been looking for you for months now. He just wanted a chance to talk to you." The man pulled out a shiny cell phone to show Leah.

"Where is he?" She knew that it was a call that she wanted to make. Not a day went by that she hadn't thought of him. There was always the question if he made it. If he lived…

"He is still recuperating in his home. May I?" The man flicked the on button and pushed the quick dial button as soon as Leah nodded.

After a two rings, Emmett's voice came on the line. "Sir, we have Leah here."

Leah took the phone tentatively while her heart jumped and skipped against her ribs. This was surreal, totally surreal. "Hello?" Her voice sounded unsteady, quivery almost.

"Leah…I'm so glad they finally found you. I hope they didn't scare you." Emmett could feel the smile spreading across his face. This was a sweet treat, a great day for him.

"Uh, they did actually…but it's not important." Silence. She coughs uncomfortably before she spoke again. "How are you doing?" She grasped the phone tighter and closer to her ear feeling a rush of relief in knowing that he survived.

"I'm fine, still getting over the last operation and infection, but what I really want to say is...thank you Leah, for saving my life, for giving me a part of yourself that night. You don't know how grateful I am for everything that you did for me." Emmett's voice sounded like music to her ears, his low bass voice was amiable which made her feel all warm inside.

"I did what I had to do. I am happy to know that you're thriving."

"How can I ever repay you?" Wrong question, but Emmett just couldn't ask her outright. He needed a little foreplay; test the waters as they say.

"As I said, I did my job…" Leah didn't know what else to say…she couldn't possibly say that there was more. _There was more?_ Her own question worried her. She looked at the two men watching her with amused expressions on their faces seemingly saying to her- _Our job here is done._

"How about dinner then?" Emmett asked, hopeful, his fingers crossed.


End file.
